I take the opportunity to welcome students and families back to Mount Carmel and to what we hope will be a successful year, despite the challenges associated with the pandemic that have governed our return. As I have said on numerous occasions, we have a great deal to be proud of in terms of how we have approached the numerous obstacles as a community over the past few years, and I remain optimistic that this approach will continue into 2022. 

On Monday of this week, we had the opportunity to welcome our graduating class of 2022 back to school as they commence the final year of secondary education. We also welcomed our new Year 7 cohort as they took their first nervous steps as official members of our community. Throughout the week, have gradually welcomed all remaining cohorts and, despite the challenges that exist at present, have successfully got the year underway. 

There is no doubt that our morning routines have looked very different this week. The use of Rapid Antigen Tests have already been successful in identifying positive cases in asymptomatic members within our school community. I thank parents and students for your support in completing these of a Monday and Wednesday morning and encourage this to continue into next week. If the health order was to continue into week 3 and beyond, the College will be supplied with further RAT kits which we will distribute in due course. In the meantime, all students are encouraged to maintain their COVID-safe behaviours and most importantly, they are asked to stay home if feeling unwell in any way. 

At our College assembly this week, I reminded all students of the need to wear a  mask at all times while indoors (unless medical reasons required otherwise). Particularly given the number of positive cases around our own and our broader community at this time, I ask parents to speak to their children about supporting this directive while at school. 

For new parents to the College, and as a reminder to parents who drop off and pick up their children, we ask that you do not enter the turning circle in front of the Admin office at peak times each morning and afternoon. Students need to be dropped off in the parent carpark which is to the left as soon as you drive through the College gates, or they can be dropped off or collected from along Spitfire Drive. As is the case at the start of each year, there is generally an increase in traffic at 3:15pm of an afternoon, however, if you are in a position to slightly delay your arrival, it is generally flowing quite smoothly by 3:30pm. 

As has been communicated by Mr Lo Cascio on a number of occasions, I request that families inform the College immediately should any student test positive to COVID-19 and stress that should this occur, the student must isolate for a minimum of 7 days, along with any sibling from the same household. Finally, I would also again ask that students who are displaying any type of flu-like symptoms, stay at home until the symptoms have ceased.

David Cloran
Assistant Principal